Dean Elgar to replace injured Duminy

Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Sunday named Chevrolet Knights all-rounder Dean Elgar as the replacement for injured JP Duminy in the Proteas Castle Lager Test squad. Duminy ruptured his Achilles tendon while warming down kicking a rugby ball after the end of play at the Gabba on Friday and will miss out the rest of the series.

The batsman, who was a star of South Africa's historic 2-1 series victory in Australia four years ago, went for hospital scans after being helped off the ground and had to undergo surgery.

Elgar will leave for Australia in the next couple of days once his visa formalities have been completed and will thus be available to play for the Chevrolet Knights in today's Momentum One-Day Cup match against the Nashua Titans at SuperSport Park.

"We have opted for a like-for-like replacement," commented CSA selection convener Andrew Hudson. "Dean can bat anywhere in the top order and he also gives us a back-up spin bowling option. He is currently in good form and made 76 with a strike rate of 107 in the Chevrolet Knights' only 50 overs game to date.

"He had a good debut for the Proteas in their recent ODI series in England and he fully deserves his call-up to our Test squad as well," he said.

Following a draining draw in the second test, Australia took a new pace attack to Perth but Siddle was quick to defend the team's tactics saying it was important to ensure the players don't suffer an injury.

Ricky Ponting, who called it quits, on a glorious international career at the WACA on Monday, told sources that while he regarded the Indian Little Master, Sachin Tendulkar, as the greatest batsman he had played against, it was the flamboyant West Indian, Brian Charles Lara, who gave him nightmares, for his ability to single-handedly turn a match on its head and take his team to victory.

'Punter', as Ricky Ponting was popularly known as, called it a day on one of the most glorious and celebrated careers in Test cricket history. A great competitor, an astute captain and a phenomenal batsman, Ponting epitomized the 'Never Say Die Attitude'. Shubhartho Ghosh, an avid follower of Australian cricket, takes us through an emotional journey of the legendary batsman.

South Africa maintained their supremacy as the No. 1 ranked team in Test cricket when they annihilated Australia by a whopping margin of 309 runs to clinch the 3-match series 1-0 on Day 4 of the third and final Test at the WACA in Perth. Ricky Ponting was dismissed for 8 in his final international appearance.